Thursday, May 5, 2011

GP3: Sophomore season Kicks off...

This weekend marks the kickoff of the second season of the GP3 series in Europe, albeit the first race is at Istanbul Park, home of the lamented Turkish Grand Prix; Uhm? Newsflash Uncle Bernaughty! I bet if you did like China just did, i.e.; LOWER ticket prices – Fans would come, eh? Especially since Istanbul features the signature Turn-8 four-apexes, or Apex-aye corner according to David Hobbs, as this is truly a great racing circuit from what I’ve heard. As the drivers exclaim it actually feels like you’re going somewhere! As the track features real elevation changes; thus it’s too bad we here Stateside won’t get to witness our celebrated Yank’s baptism-under-fire, eh?

Carlin

This perennial powerhouse “Junior Formulae” racing team is the second of two new outfits to bolster its operations by also joining the higher ranking GP2 Series – with Tony Fernandes Team Air Asia being the other GP2 Series debutant.

Thus, I’m assuming this was somehow assorted into the equation of Conor Daly’s choice to drive for said (Carlin) European outfit, eh? As it give the young Yank the potential opportunity to progress up the Food-chain in his aspirations of becoming a Formula 1 driver. As yeah, Conor is the son of ex-Formula 1 and CART driver Derek Daly, who now serves as the young lad’s manager; not to mention I’ve heard ‘bout the senior Daly driving the teenager’s rented RV at a wicked pace! As Derek’s F1 highlight seems to have been flipping over his Tyrrell at Monaco; YIKES! GO CONOR!

Whilst perusing the 2011 GP3 line-up I came across this second Yank’s name - Gabriel "Gabby" Chaves, whom once again, I know absolutely nothing about... As apparently some kid named Conor has been getting ALL of the limelight instead, as Chaves has a fairly decent CV himself – although I haveda confess that Surname makes me think of Pedro Chaves, who I’m 86% certain has NO relation to, right?

GP3 Trivia

On a side-note, interestingly four GP3 Teams have direct links to GP2 Squads: Addax Team, Carlin, Lotus-ART and MW Arden.

Lotus-ART and Marussia Manor Racing’s linkage to Formula One is self-apparent, while I suppose MW Arden could be considered to have some nebulous connection to F1, since its founders are Mark (‘Handlebarz) Webber and Christian Horner, with the latter having a GP2 Team. And whilst Horner is Webber’s boss at Red Bull Racing - there’s NO direct link to Formula 1 that I’m aware of...

But it’s nice to see that MW Arden has hired local ‘Warshintonian Unlimited Hydroplane driver Mitch Evans; Hya! As actually Mitch is an aspiring Kiwi – which seemingly puts the kybosh upon that Intra-Island rivalry between OZ and ‘N-Zed, eh? (That’s Australia and New Zealand in TomasoSpeak...) Then again, perhaps it has something to due with the size of the checque Mitch gave Mark & Christian...